LORETTO, Pa. — St.Francis (10-6, 5-0 NEC) defeated Mercyhurst (3-13, 1-2 NEC) in straight sets on Tuesday evening at DeGol Arena, with set scores of 25-21, 25-17, 25-15.

The first set opened with the Lakers establishing an early lead, driven by Roslyn Guerra's effective attacking play, contributing a series of points and widening the gap to 4-1. Alyssa Krause played a pivotal role, assisting multiple kills and adding a service ace. Despite this promising start, St. Francis countered, capitalizing on a few attack errors from the Green and Blue and leveraging Korrin Burns' offensive efforts to tighten the score.

As the set progressed, the Lakers managed to tie the game at 12-12 with a strong block from Payton Melin and Sarah Barnum. The teams exchanged leads, with Julia Shepherd adding crucial kills for the Lakers. However, St. Francis regained momentum through consistent play, eventually closing the set with a 25-21 victory, despite Mercyhurst's resilient performance and late efforts to close the gap.

The second set began with momentum slightly shifting in favor of St. Francis, as they took an early lead with consecutive kills. The Lakers responded with a block from Melin and Barnum and forced several attack errors to close the gap to 2-2. Despite these efforts, St. Francis capitalized on service aces and attack errors to extend their lead to 11-7.

Mercyhurst showed resilience as Kaitlin Murphy contributed with a kill and a block, while Shepherd and Murphy teamed up for a block to narrow the deficit. However, St. Francis maintained their advantage, using consistent offensive pressure led by Burns to push the score to 19-12. The Lakers closed with a strong defensive stand, forcing errors and scoring points off blocks by Jessica Wilson and Murphy, but ultimately fell short as Saint Francis secured the set 25-17.

Saint Francis opened the third set with a significant momentum shift, capitalizing on a series of errors by the Lakers to build a 10-5 lead. Despite a service ace by Alia Mastromatteo and a block by Shepherd and Murphy, the Lakers struggled to sustain their scoring against St. Francis's persistent offense.

Mercyhurst attempted to close the gap with key plays, including a service ace from Shepherd and a block by Shepherd and Murphy, but Saint Francis maintained control. The set concluded with a 25-15 victory for Saint Francis, solidifying their advantage in the match.

Murphy led the Lakers with five total blocks, including one solo, contributing significantly to the team's defensive efforts. Shepherd recorded three kills on ten attempts, hitting at a .300 clip while also adding three block assists. Mastromatteo facilitated the offense with four assists and added six digs defensively. Krause contributed eight assists and one service ace, showcasing her versatility on the court.

Looking ahead, the Lakers will travel to face LIU in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Friday, October 10. The match is set for 6 p.m.